Friday, 6 May 2011

BMW M3

In these days of financial belt-tightening and environmental concerns, the idea of buying a luxury car might be derided by many. Powerful cars use lots of petrol and cost large amounts of money. Can this really be justified any more? Many people are turning to smaller and more practical cars, which cost little to run and are easy to drive and park. The Smart Car, for example, released in 2008, was seen by many as the future of motoring: stripped down, small and practical.So, does all this mean that the age of the luxury car is over? Not at all. While developments in ecologically friendly city cars are certainly welcome and may well be the future of mass-market motoring, the luxury end of the market stands apart. Luxury cars are about aspiration and dreams, about creating something that is as good as it can possibly be. Luxury cars push the boundaries of what is possible. To compare cars with air travel, the much loved Concorde was developed to be the fastest and most advanced plane in use. It never served the majority of consumers, who travelled on more practical, cheaper aircraft, but it was universally admired and seen as an important technological achievement. The same is true of luxury cars. It is part of being human to want to strive for the best.So, what if you want to see some of these feats of human achievement for yourself? Most of us won’t be buying a luxury car to do the school run or go to the supermarket any time soon, however that doesn’t mean we’d pass up the chance to try a luxury drive once in while by hiring one. A road trip in a luxury car would make a perfect holiday for anyone interested in cars. A trip through the breathtaking scenery of the Alps or a road trip Los Angeles along the world-famous Route 66 might just fit the bill.